Project Party

In Dallas, Texas, a successful event planner by the name of Paige Chenault launched The Birthday Party Project as a way to celebrate birthdays of homeless children in her state. Since January 2012, the non-profit organization has celebrated over 1,100 birthdays in eight major cities across the country.

Inspired by this movement, the Fuse Volunteer Focus Committee organized a similar bi-monthly program titled Project Party by Fuse Duluth, celebrating the lives of Duluth’s children in need. Every other month, the Fuse Volunteer Focus committee hosts birthday parties at the Steve O’Neil apartments for their tenants and the children of the Damiano Center Kid’s Kitchen who would otherwise not receive one.

The Volunteer Focus Committee is comprised of eight young professionals dedicated to providing positive, memorable experiences for families in our community:

Lindsey Dueland – Northwestern Mutual

Lindsay Kern – Kern and Kompany

Bri Waldoch – Maurices

Lucas Chubiz

Erin Metzger – St.Luke’s

Jake Erickson – Northwestern Mutual

Martha Bremer, Director – Fuse and Leadership Duluth

Bailey Olson, Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce

Meghan Mahoney, Gardner Builders

As we continue to grow and develop this initiative, the passion for the project from our volunteers is increasingly evident, along with the business community’s support. To accomplish our goal, the committee has secured maurices as our premier birthday party sponsor to assist with party expenses as well as a yearlong partnership with the Duluth Balloon Company.

In September project party celebrated two years of bringing birthday parties to Steve O’Neil Apartments. This gave us even more of a reason to celebrate! We planned a giant festivity including piñatas, face painters and prizes galore! As we move forward throughout our third year, Project Party by Fuse Duluth is dedicating no fewer than 12 months of this initiative, ensuring every child and every birthday is embraced in 2018. We believe that all children deserve a day to celebrateand be celebrated, surrounded by games, cake, decorations and people who care.